The year is 20XX and dodge ball has become the number one sport in the world. Teams from all over the world now compete in dodge ball tournaments to prove once and for all who is the best dodge ball team ever.

Hawks back, in the worlds first 3D handheld skating game, and hes brought new pros (Caballero, Koston, Mullen), New tricks (Bluntsides, BS/FS Nose-and Tailsides, Heelflip Varials, Airwalks, and more), and new terrain (Insane street and vert levels) Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 for Game Boy Advance. Get your hands on a legend.

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2 for the Game Boy Advance is a surprisingly good interpretation of its console counterpart.

The graphics in Maximum Remix are roughly identical to the first game, so you're stuck with muddy, ugly textures and quite a bit of texture warping.

The fifth game in the Cool Boarders series, and the 3rd snowbaording game on the PS2, features 10 professional riders including Todd Richards, Michele Taggart, Kevin Jones, and Tara Dakides and includes the Quick Run and a Career Mode.

With an easy-to-use targeting system for spikes and passes, this entry into the relatively sparse world of beach volleyball games features Gabby Reece and her fellow beach professionals engaging in exhibition, championship, and practice modes.

The soundtrack rivals Wipeout XL for the title of best licensed soundtrack ever.

If you can get past the sluggish pacing and incessant overcomplication, MLB 2002 is a wonderful game.

Developed and retrofitted with the ESPN-MLS license, commentary, and music from Japan's award-winning "Winning Eleven 5," Konami brings its International Superstar Soccer franchise to America do battle with EA's finest.

The fourth installment in the award-winning Baseball Mogul series, in which you assume the role of the General Manager for your favorite professional baseball team. Unlike action game simulations, Baseball Mogul is a game of strategy that requires sharp wits rather than an itchy trigger finger. It is a game that is easy to learn, but hard to master. [Sports Mogul Inc.]

The 2001 PS2 game for baseball purists who prefer a realistic simulation to eye-popping graphics.

Landing vert tricks and pulling off long grinds can be a chore, because the game has a seemingly random system of determining whether or not your bike is straight enough to land. A coin toss would be more predictable.

Konami's first NHL game for the PS2 includes exhibition, season, playoffs and create-a-player modes with a full statistical package.

As outstanding as the core elements of High Heat 2002 undoubtedly are, it's hard to emerge from an extended session of gameplay without some serious misgivings.

While the game isn't bad by any means, it just doesn't stand up to the other games on the market.

This latest rendition sticks to the basic things that have made the series great, making it worthwhile even for those who aren't fans of the older games.

With a winning history on PCs and other consoles, Triple Play Baseball now signs up to another big league gaming platform on the PlayStation 2. The move gives Triple Play another leap in realism, from the ultra-sharp graphics with real player faces and stadiums to the advanced AI that enables more realistic and flexible gameplay. The DUALSHOCK 2 controller's analog features are now a key element of the batting, pitching, and fielding control for a truer sports gaming experience. To get the game right, EA once again turned to the pros--American League MVP Jason Giambi of the Oakland A's and National League Manager of the Year Dusty Baker of the S.F. Giants lent their expertise on how to play hardball in the majors. Of course, in baseball, what it all boils down to is the showdown at the plate--the pitcher facing off against the batter for all the money. Triple Play Baseball again refines the game with a power zone/contact zone batting cursor--power hitters may have a tiny cursor, but it's all power zone, while more dependable sluggers will have a larger cursor but may have a smaller sweet spot. Batters are going to need all that control if they're hoping to tee off the pitching this year, which is also improved in control to give them every trick in the books. Players' skills are accurately based on player stats from last season, so if you see Mark McGwire at the plate or Randy Johnson on the mound, expect some bad things to go down.

Triple Play Baseball is one of those rare games that really draws you into the experience with fantastic gameplay and quality graphics and sound.

The game turns the single most challenging action in sports into child's play.

Swing into action with the first-ever PS2 golf game from Electronic Arts in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001. In all, six pro golfers take to the green on three real-life courses including SpyGlass Hill, Pebble Beach, and Poppy Hills as they swing and putt their way through exact replicas of all 18 holes. The varied modes of play are now supported by two new entries, Challenge and Play-Now, in addition to such returning staples as Match, Skins, and Stroke. Making use of the PS2's additional graphical capacity over its PS1 counterpart, the game also boasts fully-rendered 3D environments and players, as well as an enhanced analog control system that makes use of the PlayStation's Dual Shock 2 enhancements.

NBA Showtime fans may enjoy Hoopz, but the game would have benefited from an honest-to-goodness arcade mode and a speed setting, if not faster overall gameplay.

Fast, furious, authentic NBA action! 989 Sports' long-running b-baller makes its debut on the PlayStation 2 with live presentation unmatched on the system. The players sport thousands of motion-captured moves, and over a hundred hours of play-by-play were logged in the production. Everything in the stadium is modeled as closely as possible, from the detailed players to the real coaches on the sidelines to the people in the stands. ShootOut also brings back the Create Dunk feature, and refines the game's Touch Shooting and Passing control. As always, your choice is going to be a tough one between LIVE and ShootOut, and in the 2k1 basketball season, each has taken a shot at the game of basketball from a different angle. Check which fits your style. Authentic players, animations, and arenas make this game so realistic you'll need high tops and wrist bands to play. It's got a new and improved game engine, redesigned player controls, and a TV-style presentation that has been edited to include more camera angles, close-ups, zooms, and cut-aways. Team-specific playbooks have more than 450 plays designed with the NBA elite. With the enhancements made to the Match-Up & Deny, Read & React A.I., no artificial intelligence has ever been more savvy. This year the road to the NBA Finals begins and ends with an NBA ShootOut.

NBA Hoopz for the Dreamcast is the same old song and dance that Midway has been perpetuating for years now.

EA Sports' Live series isn't the only game in town anymore. Konami and ESPN have teamed up to deliver ESPN NBA 2Night. The ESPN license is being tapped for more than just a name. The game will feature authentic camera angles and the wry humor of SportsCenter's Stuart Scott and Brent Musberger. Konami claims it will have the full NBA roster and that its detailed graphics engine means you'll have no problem distinguishing your favorite player. From the superhuman dunking ability of Kevin...

The dominant hoops franchise returns live, delivering high-flyin', fast-paced NBA action plus a whole lot more. With all-new player reactions and bench sequences, redesigned commentary, and crowd animations, NBA Live 2001 comes alive, bringing more emotion and atmosphere to the court than ever before. [EA Sports]

All the egomaniacal, violent splendor of heavyweight boxing comes to the PlayStation 2 in Knockout Kings 2001 by EA Sports. This title employs EA's new CyberScan technology, which allows the boxers faces to be accurately reproduced in full polygonal glory. In addition to the graphical overhaul, the game features new modes of play and simplified control. Choose your champion from a stable of boxing's greatest, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, and Lennox Lewis. A new career mode allows you to play through several weight classes and to box at famous arenas all around the world.

Without a mouthpiece, you will lose a tooth! Lace up your skates and get physical in NHL Face Off 2001. Choose from 30 different NHL teams, including the new Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets, and battle for the Stanley Cup. Play as or against 13 retired NHL legends including Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne and more. Four new play modes including Tournament, ShootOut, Practice and Draft combined with fast, fluid game play make FaceOff 2001 the hockey game for PlayStation2.

The dominant hoops franchise returns live, delivering high-flyin', fast-paced NBA action plus a whole lot more. With all-new player reactions and bench sequences, redesigned commentary, and crowd animations, NBA Live 2001 comes alive, bringing more emotion and atmosphere to the court than ever before. [EA Sports]

The only college basketball game on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system in 2001, and the only basketball game to bring you real, live, 3D rendered cheerleaders! Take that to the bank, with your pressure D and jive-talking inside moves -- this game is calling those who say they're "keeping it real," phony chumps. Some of the new features in the game include reworked player models, 3D backgrounds and animated crowds, a plethora of options, updated controls, enhanced artificial intelligence and all-new play-by-play commentary by announcer Quinn Buckner. In addition, the game engine is closely related to 989's other b-ball title, NBA Shootout. And of course, college hoops fans can play through an entire stat-filled season or head straight to the big tournament in hopes of winning the championship.

This game is streamlined and built for speed. With its combination of award-winning gameplay and 2001 updates, NCAA GameBreaker is the best college football game available. The first college football game on the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, NCAA GameBreaker 2001 uses the power of this new system to put together the most menacing offensive line ever to take the college field. With every one of the 115 Division I-A teams and stadiums, your gridiron alma mater should be well represented if they're blue chip material. Mr. Keith Jackson is calling the action all the way in one of the most realistic football audio presentations that includes over 30 college fight songs and trash talk from coaches. And speaking of realism, no game of college ball has come close to the incredible details on the field of this game--look closely at the high-resolution graphics, and you'll see mouthpieces, flexing pads, eye grease, and even mesh holes in the jerseys!

Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX can be fun, but the occasional problems with the graphics and collision detection can quickly become a source of unnecessary frustration.

10 outrageous beaches, 5-to-30-foot breakers, and 8 world class surfers including Cory Lopex, Shane Beschen, and Rochelle Ballard.

EA added the new coach mode and polished an already stellar game into the best college hoops simulation for the PlayStation.

While far from perfect, it is easily the best surfing game on the market, but more importantly, it's also a fun game.

Blazing Xtreme Sports action! Test your skills in 6 hot extreme sports including bungee jumping and skysurfing. Battle to victory in intense triple even racing! Explore 5 exotic real-world locations including Mt. Kilamanjaro, Maui, and the Himalayas, with 12 multi environment tracks to choose from. Relive the action with instant replay!

For those Americans who can't play "ISS Pro Evolution 2," or for those who absolutely must play as the San Jose Earthquakes, the L.A. Galaxy, or even Arsenal or Liverpool, we have EA's entry into the world of next generation footy.

Dial in to progressive freestyle BMX with 10-Time WorlD ChamPion Dave Mirra! *Ride as 10 top pros: Mirra, Nyquist, Ramsdell, Laird, McMurray, Harkin, Garcia, Butler, Kagy and Tim Mirra. *Innovative trick modifier lets you create your own riding style with more than 1,300 tricks! *Spin, grind ans stall your way through 12 free-roaming vert, dirt and street levels. *10 different multi-player games including Sickest Trick and Gnarliest Crash. *Killer soundtrack: Sublime, Cypress Hill, Rancid, Social Distortion, Deftones, Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys, 59 Times the Pain, Primer 55 and Swingin' Utters.

HBO Boxing is another disappointing boxing game that fails to even come close to re-creating the look and feel of the sport in the ring.

Each of the surfers is modeled and textured in seamless 3-D with a full set of animations that accurately reflects their individual style and moves. [Mattel Interactive]

Ball 'til you fall! Super NBA action, featuring all 29 NBA teams with complete NBA active player rosters. Over 75 courtside facial animations and game specific sounds. Complete defensive arsenal - hand checks, rejections, backboard pins, and battling for position. Deadly low-post moves - over 40 different animations specifically designed to dominate your opponent.

When the original PlayStation launched without a Madden title, SCEA seized the opportunity to successfully launch the GameDay series. Madden returned fire the next year, and the healthy competition between the two football series has made both better. Now 989 Sports brings its popular football franchise to PlayStation 2 with NFL GameDay 2001. Obviously, the biggest change from past games in the series lies in the graphics, which have been greatly improved. The game features 1,100 position-specific tackles, jukes, spins, and stiff arms motion-captured from 13 pro NFL players. Grass and mud stains grace the players' jerseys, and photorealistic stadiums help to make for a more lifelike atmosphere.

Though FIFA 2001 is a solid enough game in its own right, the game's lack of innovation or significant upgrades keeps it from having the same impact as FIFA 2000.

Features the "Black Widow" Jeanette Lee and an improved single-player mode.

Power Spike Pro Beach Volleyball makes a good attempt, but its inconsistencies and shoddy control detract from the overall experience.

Those simply looking for a good PlayStation golf game are better off looking at the Hot Shots series than picking up this antiquated, middle-of-the-road golf game.

NCCA Final Four 2001 features relatively entertaining arcade-style hoops action, but the game's subpar graphics, lack of options, annoying control flaws, and lack of on-court atmosphere keep it from meeting those expectations.

The King of the Ring is back! 17 boxers: Afro Thunder and company return with 13 all-new characters including four special celebrity characters! New rumble modes: Save up your power for a Knock-Em-Out-of-the-Ring Punch! Party modes: New Tournament and Team Battle modes for head-to-head competition for you and all your friends. New mini-games: Increase your speed, strength and agility by training with rumble pads, jump rope, speed bag and more. Improved single-player AI: Smarter, harder, and faster!

Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2 has more boxers and moves than the first game, but aside from a few slight changes here and there, the game remains largely unchanged.

Hawk's back - with new technology, new pros and new tricks! THPS2, the legend rides on! Skate as legendary Tony Hawk or any one of 12 other pro skaters. Create your own custom skaters. Multiple play modes including 1-Player, Career and Free Skate modes, as well as 2-player modes such as Trick Attack, Graffiti Tag and Horse. Build your own custom skate parks with the real-time 3D park editor.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2001 delivers three new courses, enhanced online play, and a brand new game type. The Presidents Cup lets you join either the U.S. or International team in this exciting match play tournament. [EA Sports]

Visual Concepts has tweaked and buffed out the annoying gameplay traits that plagued its original hoops game, and the result is a highly polished product.

Remember when snowboard sims used to suck? The times have truly changed with the monster speed, detailed tracks and super-fast frame rates of EA's first extreme sports game for the PS2.

Knockout Kings 2001 is easily the best iteration of the series thus far, thanks to improved AI, cleaner graphics, and tighter controls.

989 has opted to take the easy road this time around, and the result is a basketball game that remains virtually unchanged from last year's version.

FIFA 2001's environment is alive -- this is not just a simulation: sidelines bustle with activity from spectators, coaches, and teammates as the weather and lighting change. [EA Sports]

Surrounded in beautiful scenery, you must master hardcore surfing techniques to handle epic waves. As real as you can get...without getting wet. Before the present 128-bit days, surfing was limited to crude, two-dimensional mock-ups of the real thing. Because of the complex nature of water, a powerful system is needed to accurately render the oceanic environs. With the powerful capabilities of the PlayStation 2, Take 2's Surfing H30 ups the level of surfing games with its visual splendor and water physics. With six different locales full of sun and surf, 11 characters to ride the waves (all with their separate strengths and weaknesses), and a custom X-Board controller to more accurately reproduce the action with your Dual Shock 2, Surfing H30 aims to be the closest thing to surfing short of waxing up your own board and hitting the beach.

EA's first hockey game to grace a next-gen system features all 30 NHL teams (including the Wild & Blue Jackets) and emphasizes speed, with the "big hit," "deke" and "speed burst" buttons making their return along with such precise adjustable factors as pass speed, shot accuracy, puck elasticity, and puck friction (?!?).

Swing Away Golf is a game whose features and execution could barely be explained by a book, let alone by a review.

Compete against the greatest athletes on earth in ESPN International Track & Field. Compete as or against top Olympic athletes in over 10 real world events. ESPN International Track and Field features over 750 motion-captured animations and true-to-life graphics and sounds that capture the spirit of international track and field competition.

Players can choose to skate with the skills of Tony Hawk, the most legendary pro of all time, or as one of 12 pro skaters from the star-studded lineup. The game's intuitive and solid control scheme allows players to perform hundreds of tricks in a variety of realistic, obstacle-filled, real-world locations. [Activision]

Features an all-new graphics rendering engine, perfected ball physics, new tour players and courses, and the new Arnold Palmer Course Designer (APCD). [Microsoft]

ESPN X Games-Snowboarding challenges players to test their skills in a variety of events and courses. The game captures the realism of the sport with authentic ESPN graphics and stats of the biggest names in the sport.

Even though it's not quite up to prevailing standards, Speedball 2100 still packs quite a bit of wallop.

Mike Tyson's Boxing just doesn't have the depth of Knockout Kings or the immediate satisfaction found from the arcade style of play in Ready 2 Rumble.

Rip it up with 10 World Class professional snowboards, including snowboarding champions Todd Richards, Barrett Christy, Kevin Jones, Michele Taggart, Jeremy Jones and Tara Dakides. Tweak your grabs on more then 20 huge, branching courses in 6 killer events. Carve the slopes against the pros in the intense Pro Challenger mode. Shred powder against the best! Sick tricks, grabs, grinds, board tweaks and special moves. Create your own rider and look like a pro boarder with authentic gear from top snowboarding sponsors.

EA Sports steps up to the challenge of Sega's "NFL2k1" with mind-blowing graphics and innovative "Madden Cards" -- Upper Deck creations purchased with tokens earned by completing in-game challenges which can be used as power-ups during the game. Match up all current NFL teams as well as great teams from the past in Season, Franchise, or Practice modes.

Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 is a solid arcade-style boxing game, and like most arcade games, it wears thin fairly quickly.

MTV Sports: Skateboarding Featuring Andy Macdonald serves no other purpose than to act as an excellent example of how not to make a skateboarding game.

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing - Round 2 will include a variety of uniquely different, animated thugs that will punch their way up the ladder of the Ready 2 Rumble boxing world. The game will also feature two new celebrity boxers: the King of Pop, Michael Jackson and Los Angeles Lakers superstar, Shaquille O'Neal.

Sega Marine Fishing, the sequel to the smash arcade hit and Dreamcast all-star Sega Bass Fishing, features all of the thrills and action of deep-sea fishing complete with blue marlin, sailfish, tarpon, tuna, and the dangerous mako shark!

NBA Live 2001 follows the fine tradition established by previous versions while adding just about every conceivable gameplay option.

MTV: Pure Ride is an excellent snowboarding game, but it's yet another example of a development house shifting the majority of its resources to the next generation of hardware.

Professional Bull Rider 2 reuses most of the same exact graphics, music, voiceover, and gameplay as those of the previous game.

High-flyin', hard hittin', intense powerplay hockey is back with EA Sports' NHL 2001, bringing gamers out of the stands and onto the ice. Lace up the skates and play with or against all 30 National Hockey League teams, including the expansion Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. [Electronic Arts]

While it's not the most beautiful hockey video game, NHL 2001 comes through where it counts - the gameplay.

Go for the Gold! *Detailed ESPN Integration *Authentic ESPN Graphic overlays *Eye-popping statistical drop-ins *Broadcast quality replays *Over 750 authentic motion-captured animations featuring "The World's Fastest Man," Maurice Greene, 3 time Olympian Ato Boldon, and more. *12 international track & field events from the 100m dash to the Hammer Throw. *Compete with athletes from over 10 different countries around the world with up to 4 player capability

As most major publishers' development efforts shift to any number of next-generation platforms, Tony Hawk 2 will likely stand as one of the last truly fantastic games to be released on the PlayStation.

Konami has gone to great lengths to integrate two- and four-player capability into each of the game's non-season modes, which opens up the possibility of introducing your sports-phobic friends to a soccer game they can actually play.

NFL Blitz 2001 for Dreamcast is a worthy update and a giant step above the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 versions of the same name.

NFL Blitz 2001 takes a low-key approach, delivering much the same features as last year's release while offering a number of minor refinements in key areas.

The only major flaw in Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is that the game is a touch on the easy side.

MTV Skateboarding is a perfect example of cashing in on a recently established genre, yet unlike games like Street Sk8er 2 or Grind Session, it doesn't bring anything worthwhile to the table.

No refs. No rules. No mercy! NFL Blitz is back as this year's exclusive 7-on-7 extreme-style football game with all the NFL teams, players and new hard-line features like... All-New Mini-Game Mode: Improve your skills and become a master of the controls. Exciting New Look: Awesome and outrageous animations and celebrations. New Killer Audio: Impressive sound FX, voice-overs and music. New Player Artificial Intelligence (AI): Easy to have fun, challenging to master. New stadiums, expanded play books, and updated rosters.

In the end, NFL 2K1 is a deeper, more refined version of the original game.

Maximum Pool's interface can prove to be very cumbersome, but if you can learn to tolerate how it plays, it's a great deal.